Getting Prepared at Home and Work

1
Getting Prepared at Home and Work

• JoAnn Jordan
• Emergency Preparedness Education Coordinator
• City of Seattle Emergency Management

2
Earthquake
Preparedness
Did You Know??????

• Washington State has the 3rd highest threat of
  earthquake in the United States.
  
• The Puget Sound area has 4 different types of
  earthquakes that can strike at any time.
  
• The Puget Sound area already has nearly 1,000
  earthquakes each year.

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Its Not Just Earthquakes

• What do these all have in common?
• City services may be overwhelmed
• Youll need information
• You may have to be on your own for a minimum of 3
  days
  
• Youll want to get in touch with those you care
  about
  
• You may have to evacuate your home or
  neighborhood or workplace

• Earthquake
• Severe weather
• Fire
• Hazardous material Spill
• Terrorism
• Bird Flu - Pandemic

4
Prepare for consequences, not specific disasters

• To keep from getting overwhelmed, focus on the
  consequences and impacts of an earthquake or
  other disasters and youll find there are a few
  basic preparedness measures that covers all
  disasters.
• Get Ready to respond to the consequences before
  they happen!
  
• Preparedness Empowerment

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What are the consequences or impacts of a
disaster?

• Extended disruption to infrastructure carries the
  most impacts.
  
• Utilities - Water, Sewer, Electricity
• Road Ways and Bridges
• Telephone

Emergency Response Agencies may be overwhelmed i
mmediately following a moderate to major disaste
r.
6
Step One Get Ready!

• Teach your family and co-works how to be safe in
  an earthquake
  
• Drop Cover and Hold under a desk, table or
  counter
  
• Sit against an inside wall
• Get lower than furnishings (Beneath, Beside,
  Between)
  
• What If Game! What if Im ..

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Get Ready Stock Supplies

• Store a 3 day supply of food and necessities for
  you and your family.
  
• Water
• Radio and Batteries
• Prescription Meds
• Food
• Flashlight Glow Sticks
• Eye glasses
• Sturdy shoes
• Comfy clothes

What do I put my supplies in and where do I put
it?
Have a smaller kit in your car and at work.
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What skills will you need to take care of
yourself, your family, your neighborhood, your
co-workers?

• Fire evacuation planning
• Learn how to use a fire extinguisher
• First Aid
• How and when to control utilities
• Reduce earthquake hazards
• If it would break and fall and hurt someone
• If it would break and fall and block an exit

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Step 2 Have a plan
After a disaster, Please stay off all phones for
a minimum of 4 hours.

• Communications plan
• Long Distance phone lines are more reliable than
  local lines. Have a point of contact for your
  family who lives outside of Washington State to
  relay information to each other.
• Reunion Plan
• If you cant get home, where would you stay?
• If you cant get home, where would you meet?

• Ask questions about the disaster plans for your
  childrens school/daycare or your parents
  retirement community.
  
• Make sure everyone knows and understands the your
  plan.
  

10
Practice your plan
If you never practiced drop, cover and hold,
the likelihood of you performing this Quake
Safe action when the earthquake shakes is only
about 10.
Every time I practice, I double my
chances of doing drop, cover and hold
when the real earthquake happens!!
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Step 3 Get Organized
The key to successful response is working
together!
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Getting organized

• Response Tasks
• Controlling utilities
• Simple search and rescue
• Damage Assessment
• People Tasks
• First Aid
• Shelter
• Communications

• Outline the details
• Wheres the gathering place both inside and
  outside the buildings?
  
• Who will be in charge?
• Where are the utilities located?
• Who might need some extra help?

13
Benefits of getting organized

• You, your family and your co-workers become
  better prepared.
  
• You get to know each other.
• You can save time and money working together.
• You increase efficiency of responding to the
  immediate needs following a disaster.
  
• You have peace of mind knowing that you are able
  to take care of yourselves.
  
• Its Fun!

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Want More Information?

• Call
• Seattle Office of Emergency Management at
• 206-233-7123

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Get Prepared for 3 Days in These 3 Ways

• Step 1 Build a kit for home work
• Water
• Radio
• Food
• Prescription meds
• Light sticks and flashlights
• Clothes
• Cash
• TP
• Pet supplies and crate

• Step 2 Plan with your family
• Fire evacuation plan
• Disaster reunion plan
• Communications plan choosing an out of area
  point of contact as a way to connect with each
  other in disaster
  
• Step 3 Learn Skills
• First aid
• Utility control

Start Now!